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Roundup: Bowser runs for 266 and winning TD

Isaiah Bowser rushed 31 times for 266 yards and two touchdowns, and it was his last score that proved to be the difference with 1:54 left as the Sidney (Ohio) Yellowjackets battled back for a 49-42 win over Tipp City Tippecanoe.

It was Bowser's 71-yard breakthrough that gave Sidney the lead with less than two minutes to play in the final quarter. Caleb Harris grabbed an interception at the Tippecanoe 25-yard line with 37 seconds left to put the game away for the Jackets.

“The line had a good block for me, I saw the hole and took off,” Bowser said. “Nobody could slow me down.” He added, “We got it done at the end. We got that touchdown and a big stop to get the win.”

Sidney trailed Tippecanoe by one point at halftime but fought back fast. After the teams traded punts early in the third quarter, Bowser scored his first touchdown with 4:20 left. A two-point conversion gave Sidney a 28-21 lead.

Bowser’s 1,900 rushing yards on the season already set a new school record and he has three games left to play. It also explains much of the Yellowjackets' 7-0 record (2-0 in the Great Western Ohio Conference's North division), which is their best since 1974.

Sidney will remain at home for a game against Troy this weekend.


Find out how all of Northwestern's 2018 commits fared last weekend in this edition of Recruit Roundup.


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O'Rourke and Lincoln-Way East score early and often

Devon O'Rourke's undefeated Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln-Way East Griffins took advantage of Lockport (1-6, 0-5 in conference) in an unquestioned 49-6 blowout.

Lockport gave up a fumble on the first play from scrimmage and by the end of the first quarter, East was ahead by 28 points.

"We rested some kids who were a little banged up," Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar said. "That gave us a chance to do some different things. We wanted to get the tight end more involved in the passing game.”

O'Rourke made one contribution on the scoreboard: when Lockport finally managed a touchdown in second quarter, he blocked the extra point.

But the game mostly belonged to East tight end Turner Pallissard who caught 6 passes for 46 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown and also scored on a 1-yard-run. Pallissard will be a preferred walk-on at Iowa.

With just two games remaining, East welcomes South Holland Thornwood next.


Kaiser, New Trier post Homecoming victory

Tight end Brian Kaiser and the Winnetka (Ill.) New Trier Trevians got a 41-0 win against a Skokie Niles North team that didn't even expect to be playing just a few days earlier.

Niles North, under investigation for allegations of locker room hazing, had forfeited its Sept. 28th game. Then the program was reinstated on Oct. 2nd after school authorities announced that a thorough investigation by school officials and police determined no criminal conduct had taken place.

Coach Brian Doll said New Trier (5-2, 3-0 in conference) got confirmation on Monday afternoon that Niles North would playing in the upcoming Friday game, which was a Homecoming game for the Trevians. “It was a little tricky (last) weekend not having (the prior week's) film to prepare for them, not knowing if they were going to play," Doll said. "We kept telling our kids, 'We have to plan like we're playing them.'”

New Trier was already up a touchdown when junior Jonathan Taylor blocked a punt that was recovered by the Trevians at the Niles North 10-yard line. Two plays later, junior quarterback Carson Ochsenhirt scored from the 2-yard line. The Trevians went up 21-0 after junior Donovan Perkins returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown in the final minute of the first quarter.

New Trier will play its last home game against Park Ridge Maine South, the same school that produced current NU Wildcat quarterback Matt Alviti.


Newsome's INT sparks IMG

Cornerback Greg Newsome snagged a crucial interception to help the Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy Ascenders win 38-12 against the Venice Indians.

IMG took basic yellow school buses (without air conditioning) to get to Venice and were already in an ornery mood when they arrived. Yet, for a while, Venice was thinking about an upset against the team ranked No. 2 in the nation by USA Today.

The Indians trailed only 17-12 entering the final 12 minutes of play with the ball in IMG Academy territory. Then came Newsome's pickoff. It was the keystone of a 4:59 stretch which became three unanswered touchdowns and a game-changing catalyst for the Ascenders.

“At the end we made a couple of plays that turned the momentum in our favor,” IMG Academy coach Kevin Wright said. “They had us on the ropes there, but we made a couple more plays.”

With their 5-0 record safely in hand, IMG Academy will have a week off before traveling to Utah to play Salt Lake City East.


Mangieri, Dunlap continue hot streak

Superback Charlie Mangieri and the Dunlap (Ill.) Eagles played their last home game of the year against Metamora and were easy 42-7 winners.

Luke Bennyhoff led Dunlap (7-0, 5-0 in the Mid-Illini conference) on both sides of the ball, rushing for 145 yards and 2 touchdowns, including an 84-yard breakaway in the second period. He returned an interception 89 yards for another score.

“I wasn’t expecting it to go like that,” said Dunlap acting head coach Teague Dentino. “But a win feels good.”

Dunlap put up 21 points in the first quarter, 14 more in the second and had a “mercy rule” running clock in the second half.

Next will be a road game against the winless Bartonville Limestone Rockets.


McDonald, Northshore take step backward

Safety Jeremiah McDonald had three solo tackles and assisted on six more, but his Slidell (La.) Northshore Panthers fell behind 21-0 and their rally fell short, losing to the Mandeville Skippers for the 12th consecutive time, 28-21.

Mandeville got on the scoreboard on the opening drive as senior running back Taron Jones found the end zone from five yards out. After forcing a Northshore punt on the Panthers' opening possession, Jones made it 14-0 when he scampered 73 yards for another touchdown. Jones scored yet against from 21 yards out in the second quarter.

Northshore rallied with 14 points in the third quarter to pull to within seven points, but neither team could get on the scoreboard in the final period.

Northshore (3-3, 1-2 conference) hits the road to take on Hammond this weekend.


Jones, Byrnes rally to victory

Linebacker Khalid Jones racked up three tackles, assisted on four more (totaling 1.5 tackles for loss) and knocked down a pass as the Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes Rebels got a come from behind 45-21 win against Spartanburg's Boiling Springs Bulldogs.

Down at halftime and facing an 0-2 start in Region III-5A, Byrnes scored 36 unanswered points in the second half.

“This was huge,” Byrnes coach Reggie Shaw said. “This was a do-or-die kind of deal right here. I’m just so proud of our coaches and players for how they bounced back and responded. Champions have to come back when their backs are against the wall and they came back strong.”

Sophomore tailback Rahjai Harris ran for 126 yards and three touchdowns, and the Rebels’ defense, which allowed 336 first-half yards, clamped down and gave up just 44 yards and held the Bulldogs scoreless in the second half.

Byrnes improves to 6-1 (1-1 regionally) and they hope to ride the momentum against the Fort Mill Nation Ford Falcons in a non-conference game.

Jones picked up a personal accolade last weekend by being selected to represent South Carolina in this year's Shrine Bowl.


Leota, Asheville capture fifth straight

Defensive end Andrew Leota and the Asheville (N.C.) Cougars got a 30-16 win in a rare match with Waynesville Tuscola.

Asheville earned the win by scoring 30 consecutive points after trailing 16-0 late into the second quarter. The Cougars racked up more than 500 yards offense and limited Tuscola’s option offense — which operated without running back Bailee Ewart in the second half — to 179 yards on 42 carries and zero points after halftime.

“We didn’t have our best week of practice, and it showed in the first half,” Asheville head coach David Burdette said. “We settled down at halftime and made some special plays in the second half.”

Asheville got off to a slow start this season by losing its first three games. Since then, however, the Cougars have rung up five consecutive wins, all in conference, to move their record to 5-3.

With this win, the Cougars set a matchup of undefeated conference teams Oct. 13 against A.C. Reynolds.


Rivers, Grayson protect national ranking

Linebacker Jaylen Rivers wasn't necessary for the Loganville (Ga.) Grayson Rams to tally a 52-6 win against Snellville Shiloh, which is in the midst of a 1-6 season.

This was the first game that Grayson has played against an in-state opponent since early September.

“The kids just came out of the gate really fast tonight and did everything they needed to do,” said Grayson coach Christian Hunnicutt.

The opening half was filled with sensational plays by Grayson’s offensive and defensive units.

Grayson’s offensive exploits were spearheaded by quarterback D.J. Irons, who contributed running touchdowns of 64 and 4 yards, as well as two TD passes of 85 and 49 yards.

The Rams (6-0 overall, 1-0 within region) also flexed their muscle on defense. They forced multiple turnovers and converted two of those into TDs. All told, Grayson scored 22 points in the first quarter and 24 before pulling most of its starters.

Now at a No. 8 national ranking by USA Today's computer-based polls, Grayson will travel to face Lawrenceville Archer next.


Mann, All Saints coast to another easy win

Inside linebacker Grayson Mann had four solo tackles, four assists and two tackles for loss for the Ft. Worth (Tex.) All Saints Episcopal Saints, who put up 26 first-quarter points in their first game after a bye week in an easy 47-10 victory over Dallas Christian.

While the final score might not reflect it, this was a matchup of teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the SportsDay rankings of large private schools in the Dallas area and featured pledges from schools such as Oklahoma and Rice. All Saints victory snapped Dallas Christian’s 30-game winning streak.

To stay atop the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS), All Saints will be guests of Pearland Shadow Creek.


Blake and Central take one on the chin

Offensive guard Wyatt Blake's Crystal Lake (Ill.) Central Tigers were kept in check all night by Illinois Class 8A powerhouse Huntley. The Huntley Red Raiders won 49-7 and Central only avoided a shut-out loss with a tipped pass in the end zone with 24 seconds left in the game.

Central fell to a 4-3 record (3-3 in the Fox Valley Conference) while Huntley cemented a playoff berth. Central's offense stalled all night and was moving backward on its very first drive, when a three-and-out set up a 1-yard touchdown run for Huntley's Melvin Aninaguei-Bonsu (6 carries, 58 yards) with 4:08 left in the first. The Raiders never looked back as they built a 42-0 lead midway through the third quarter to institute a running clock.

"Our defense really came through," Huntley coach Matt Zimolzak said. "We've been working with a different group defensively every week. We haven't had our full defense and being able to have our whole defense out there today and to get a pretty dominant performance, I'm very happy with the way they played."

Central will try to make the most of their last two games and clinch a playoff berth, starting with Carpentersville Dundee-Crown.


Schmidt, Libertyville enjoy Homecoming rout

Offensive tackle Charlie Schmidt's Libertyville (Ill.) Wildcats celebrated their centennial Homecoming game by making short work of the Mundelein Mustangs.

The Wildcats had a 21-0 lead after the first quarter and roared to a 42-0 lead by halftime. Wet and windy conditions seemed to have no effect on Libertyville and there was a “mercy rule” running clock for the entire second half.

Starting at its own 23-yard-line, it took Libertyville just three plays to find the end zone as a 41-yard pass from senior quarterback Alex Stanulis (7-for-13, 115 yards passing) to Jack Turco put the ball on the Mundelein 35. Then senior running back Brendan Bazar (96 yards on 5 carries) scored on a 35-yard TD run for a quick 7-0 lead. Things only got better for Libertyville from there.

Libertyville has not yet assured themselves of a playoff berth. Their chances can improve a great deal depending on the outcome of what will be a tough road game at Lake Zurich this weekend.


He'bert, Dawson eke out a win

Offensive tackle Payne He'bert's Pearland (Tex.) Dawson had to be patient, but they got a 14-13 win over Houston George Ranch last Thursday. Head coach Eric Wells' team scored touchdowns on two of its final three possessions to escape with the win in the Eagles' District 23-6A opener.

Dawson secured the win when wide receiver Mason Pierce scored from 10 yards out on a jet sweep in a fourth-and-5 situation. Afterward, kicker Claire Jeffress booted the key 25-yard PAT following a penalty with 4:39 left in the game. On the ensuing George Ranch drive a sack by Dawson's Paul Jennings with 3:16 to play was the last gasp.

While many other programs are looking at the shank end of their season, Dawson has barely gotten started. This was only their fourth game of the year (3-1 overall, 1-0 in district) and they are tentatively scheduled to continue playing a week after Halloween.

The game against George Ranch was just the beginning of the Eagles’ conference action and now they will return home for a game against Clute Brazoswood.


Whittaker sidelined for another one

Quarterback Jason Whittaker was a scratch for the Rockford (Mich.) Rams last week as he recovers from a shoulder injury, and his team certainly missed him, as West Ottawa defeated the Rams for the first time in 15 years.

Rockford built a 23-7 halftime lead that included both a fumble recovery touchdown and a safety by Taylor Green. But West Ottawa started the second half with a 97-yard kickoff return for the first of what would become four unanswered touchdowns.

Whittaker has been cleared to return on Friday for Rockford’s Homecoming against rival East Kentwood.


Idle

Wide receiver Jacob Jefferson and the Houston St. Pius X Panthers were left idle after their game against Orange Little Cypress-Orangeville was canceled. They won't play again until meeting Mann and Ft. Worth All Saints on Oct. 20th.


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